Prior to establishing himself as one of the premier welterweights in the world today, Jon Fitch had to overcome a rocky start to his professional fighting career. He lost two of his first four MMA fights—one by Rear Naked Choke, the other by knockout—before embarking on an unbelievable 16-fight winning streak, including eight in a row in the UFC, before finally challenging for the title in 2008. After defeating Brock Larson in his UFC debut in 2005, Jon Fitch went on to dominate such fighters as Josh Burkman, whom he finished with a Rear Naked Choke, Thiago Alves, whom he knocked out, Roan Carneiro, and Diego Sanchez before losing a spirited effort to champion Georges St. Pierre in August of 2008. Since the loss to St. Pierre, Fitch has jumped right back on the winning wagon, defeating fighters Akihiro Gono, Paulo Thiago, Ben Saunders, and Mike Pierce by decision.

Although he possesses high level submission and striking skills, Fitch is first and foremost the model of a “grinder.” The majority of his professional wins have come by way of tough, smothering decisions. Fitch has never finished a UFC fight inside of the first round, and he is not known for his aggressive risk taking. However, the former Purdue University “Boilermaker” is virtually unparalleled in his ability to get inside, clinch his opponents, and shut down their offense while imposing one of the most stubborn and dominant wrestling games in the sport. His fights can look like carbon copies of one another despite his opponents’ various skillsets and physiques, simply because of Fitch’s unwavering ability to implement his gameplan. The plan obviously works, as Fitch is now knocking on the door of the all-time UFC wins record.